Railroad-velocipede.



No. 783,463. PATENTED FEB. 28,1905.

A. S. REED.

RAILROAD VELOGIPEDE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1904.

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A. S. REED. RAILROAD VELOOIPEDE.

APPLIUATION .E'ILBD JUNE 28, 1904.

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No. 783,463. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905.

A. S.'REED.

RAILROAD VELUOIPEDE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1904.

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lUNirnn STATES Patented February 28, 1905.

ATENT Caries.

ALBERT S. REED, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE ONIVARD COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

RAlLROAD-VELOOIPEDE.

SPECIJEIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,463, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed June 28, 1904- Serial No. 214,546.

To all whmn, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT S. REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railroad-Velocipedes, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to a railroad-veloci pede; and its objectis to provide an improved vehicle of this class which will be easy-running, light, strong, and capable of being folded into compact form for transportation.

I will describe my invention particularly by reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form.

Figure 1 is a side view of the velocipede. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. I is a plan view showing the velocipede folded as for transportation. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the driving clutch mechanism, taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are detail sectional views taken on lines 6 6, 7 7, and 8 8, respectively, of Fig. 5.

The same parts are designated by the same reference-letters throughout the drawings.

The velocipede consists of a main frame 11, having front and rear wheels 5 7), adapted to ride upon one of the rails of a railroadtrack, and a laterally-projecting frame carrying at its outer end a flanged guide-wheel 7/, which is adapted to ride upon the other rail of the track. The rear wheel I) on the main frame is the driving-wheel and is arranged to be driven through suitable gearing by means of a rocking lever c, which is furnished with a handle at the top to be grasped by the rider, who sits upon the seat (Z. The inter mediate mechanism, by which the rocking movement of the lever c is converted into rotary movement of the driving-wheel b, preferably comprises a chain-and-sprocket gear, driven by means of a rotatable friction-clutch, which is connected by a strap with the lower end of the lever c. The clutch mechanism is shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8. The drivingsprocket 0 is mounted upon a suitable spindle which is preferably supported in ball-bearings from the brackets f f. A clutch-shell g is mounted to rotate concentrically with the shaft of the driving-sprOcket, and the inner face of said shell is arranged to be engaged by pawls or clutch members do, carried by the,

shaft e of the driving-sprocket. These clutch members may be arranged as in Fig. 6, so that when the shell is rotated in the direction of the arrow the cluteh-pawls will tighten upon the shell 9 and will cause the d riving-sprocket to be rotated in the same direction. An opposite movement of the shell g, however, will produce no corresponding movement of the driving-sprocket, since the clutch members a a will simply slide upon the surface of the shell instead of tightly engaging the same. The particular clutch mechanism illustrated forms no part of the present invention, but is to be claimed in a separate application.

The driving-strap /L is fastened at one end to the shell g and after passing around the periphery of said shell is fastened at its other end to the lower end of the operating-lever c. When said operating-lever is rocked in the direction shown by the arrow in Figs. 1 and 2, the pull of the strap which is passed around the clutch-shell causes the same to rotate and propel the vehicle. A movement of the rocking lever c in the opposite direction from that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 should rotate the shell 1 in the opposite direction to wind up the strap ready for another stroke, and for this purpose I have provided a return-strap In, which is fastened to theclutch-shell and passed around the same in the opposite direction from that of the driving-strap /i, said return-strap being then carried forward around the pulley l (shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4:) and finally connected, through a retractile spring m, with the lower end of the operating-lever c. The spring is for the purpose of taking up the slack which would otherwise form if the return-strap were attached directly to the operating-lever, owing to the comparatively short radiusof the latter. As the top of the operating-lever is moved forward or in a direction opposite to the arrows in Figs. 1 and 2 the clutch-shell is positively rotated backward by means of the return-strap I", which is unwound as the driving-strap I), is wound up. The backward movement of the clutchshell, as before stated, communicates no movement to the driving-sprocket, which is actuated only by a forward movement of said clutch-shell.

The arrangement of a special return-strap Z, for winding up the driving-strap after each stroke possesses a decided advantage over a spring which might be employed, in that the action of the return-strap is positive, and more particularly that all the energy of each strokeof the operating-lever is expended in driving the vehicle and not wasted in winding up a spring. The work required to wind up the strap can be done much more economically upon the return stroke of the operating-lever rather than by the same stroke which propels 'the vehicle.

1 will now describe the features of construction by which the device is made capable of folding into compact form for transportation without unduly sacrificing simplicity, rigidity, strength, and lightness.

The flanged guide-wheel 6 which is intended to run upon the outer rail of the railroadtrack, is carried upon the end of a laterallyextending frame 0, which is pivotally connected at o to the main frame of the machine in such a way that it may be swung in a horizontal plane to occupy a position either substantially at right angles to the frame or a position substantially parallel thereto. When the vehicle is in use, the frame 0 occupies the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and is braced in this position by a diagonal brace formed in two parts 12 p connecting the outer end of said frame 0 with the rear portion of the main framework a. The two members 9 19 may be approximately of equal length and are pivoted together by means of a bolt p passed vertically through them where they overlap. he opposite ends of the brace members 19 19 are connected to the frame a and to the arm 0, respectively, by pivot-pins 19 19 which pass through said brace members a short distance from their ends. The projecting end of each brace member is cut to the proper angle, so that it will come against the side of the frame to which it is connected and form a stop to prevent the brace member from swinging more than enough to bring the two brace members into alinement. When said brace members are brought into alinement, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, they are secured in this position by means of a locking pin 0'", which is passed through their overlapping portions at a little distance from the pivotal pin 2) The main brace 11 is further held rigid by means of a supplemental iron brace s, which may be attached at one end to the member p at the bolt 9' and secured thereon by a thumb-nut v", the opposite end of said supplemental brace 8 being fastened to the frame of the vehicle. Said supplemental brace preferably extends at an angle to the main braces p 12 both with respect to a horizontal and a vertical plane, for greater stiffness.

in order to fold the vehicle into the form shown in Fig. 4, it is only necessary to loosen the thumb-nut a" and pull out the bolt 7 whereupon the arm 0 may be swung into a position substantially parallel with the main frame, the braces 19 p folding up, so that both members thereof also lie substantially parallel to each other and to the arm 0. The dotted lines in Fig. 3 show the parts as they are being folded.

It will be appreciated that no tools are necessary to fold the device or to restore it to running condition, the manipulation of a single thumb-nut and bolt being all that is required.

I claim- 1. In a railroad-velocipede, the combination with the main frame carrying driving-gear, of a laterally projecting arm pivoted at one end of said frame to swing horizontally to occupy a position substantially at right angles to said frame or a position substantially parallel thereto, a guide-wheel mounted at the outer end of said arm, a folding brace comprising two arms 3) p pivoted together, one of said arms being pivotally attached to the main frame and the other being pivotally attached to the end of said arm, whereby the brace may be folded in a horizontal plane, and a supplemental stiffening-brace 8 having a removable connection with one of the members of said folding brace, and connecting the same with the main frame, all substantially as described.

2. In a railroad-velocipede, the combination with the main frame carrying driving-gear, of a lateral extension pivotally mounted at one end of said frame and having a flanged guidewheel at its outer end, a brace extending angularly from the outer end of said extension to said main frame and having pivotal connection with said extension andsaid frame, said brace being formed in two pieces pivoted together to permit the brace to be folded horizontally. and removable means for locking said brace against folding.

3. In a vehicle, the combination with the manual oscillating lever c, of adriving-wheel, a rotating clutch and a driving-strap passed around the same connecting it with said oscillating lever, said clutch being adapted when advanced to advance the driving-wheel, the reverse movement of said clutch being independent of the driving-wheel, and a return-strap 71) passed around said clutch in an opposite direction from the driving-strap and connected with said operating-lever to be pulled by the same in its return movement after the driving stroke, whereby the clutch is rotated backward to wind up the driving-strap.

4-,. In arailroad-velocipede, the combination with the driving-wheel b and the drivingsprocket e geared thereto, of a rotating clutch adapted when rotated forward to drive said sprocket, said clutch being independent of the i. ,I I

sprocket in its reverse movement, an oscillating lever 0, a driving-strap 71 connecting said clutch directly with said oscillating lever, and a reversely-connected return-strap it connected with said clutch, said strap it being carried forward around a pulley Z, and a spring m connecting said return-strap with the operatinglever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. ln arailroad-velocipede, the combination With a driving-gear, of a rotatable clutch mechanism arranged to rotate said driving-gear in one direction, the reverse movement of said clutch mechanism being independent of the driving-gear, an oscillating lever 0, a drivingstrap 12, connecting said lever with the clutch mechanism to rotate the same, and a reverse connection between said lever and clutch for positively reversing the movement of said clutch in the return movement of said operating-lever, substantially as described.

6. In arailroad-Velocipede, the combination with the main frame carrying the wheels 6 7) and the driving mechanism, of a laterally-extending arm 0 pivoted to said frame to swing in a horizontal plane, a flanged guiding-wheel 5 carried by said frame, a diagonal brace formed in two portions 9 p pivoted together to fold in a horizontal plane, said brace being pivoted at its outer end to said arm 0, and at its inner end to the frame, a locking-bolt 9* adapted to hold said brace against folding, and an angular supplemental brace 8 extending between the frame and said diagonal brace, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 20th day of June, A. D. 1904.

ALBERT S. REED.

Witnesses: I

DE WITT (J. TANNER, GEO. C. DAVIsoN. 

